tapping head vs hand/cordless tapping machine....

[InspirationTool]

I need to thread a bunch (about 200) of 6-32 holes in 3/8" thick brass and stainless.

I'm thinking of getting a tapping head for my Sieg x2 mini-mill, or a small drill press OR a small hand tapping machine connected to a small cordless drill.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

-Jeff

[ViperTX]

tapping head will be as much as the Sieg...better have a few taps on hand if you decide to go without a tapping head and aren't doing it manually. If doing it manually make yourself a guide block.

[miljnor]

I havent done it in awhile but I used to do these big stainless plates about .25" thick that had about 215 holes per plate. I did them on the nc but you still had to change the drill and tap after every plate.

What taps are you using?

I must have tried every tap out there and the one that worked (in stainless) the best was a standard uncoated 2 flute (aluminum style) tap. Go figure non of the engineers at these tap companies could make thier expensive high faluting taps work were a 2.00 dollar tap kicked butt!.

and oh ya! what Vipertx said!

[lerman]

Look for a Tapmatic tapping head on ebay. That's where I bought mine. I got two small ones for $250 (the pair). There always seem to be some out there.

Ken

[JFettig]

I picked up a tapping head up off of ebay a month ago or so, Got it new with multiple arbors for $140. I havent tapped many holes yet with it, I was tapping 1/4-20s with it, if I would go too fast I would stall the spindle on the stock motor, keep that into consideration. I dont think theres enough torque for stainless work, especially that deep?

I am now 200 miles away from mine and cant test it out for you(nor do I have the mill with stock motor anymore)

Another thing is that you wont have enough travel for a part in a vice and a tap hanging out of the tapping head for anything. thats another big issue becides the power.
In my cnc, I have .7" from the point of a 1/4-20 tap to the top of a .25" thick part thats half in the vice. My mill has slightly more travel than stock(top of the column)

Jon

[lerman]

Put the tapping head in a drill press. The tapping head has lots of "float", so it doesn't have to be aligned dead center.

Ken

[InspirationTool]

Thanks for the tips everyone!

I'll let you know how it turns out.

-Jeff